Survitec enters the new decade with a focus on what the company believes to be one of its strongest points – reliability. Its reputation for MES reliability has led to Survitec having successfully installed and deployed over 2,500 MES units on over 800 vessels worldwide.
Survitec are the original authority and industry leader in the design, manufacture and supply of MES solutions - a history tracing back over 160 years with the story of being buoyant in survival dating back to 1920. What began as an aircraft floatation product designed and manufactured by RFD (now part of Survitec), to prevent planes sinking when ditched, overtime evolved to become a means to rescue aircrew in an emergency. As technologies and methodologies became more sophisticated, self-inflating liferafts became larger and in 1979, RFD launched the first purpose-built marine evacuation system.
Four decades on and Survitec has become the industry leader for MES. Over the decades, the original product range has been enhanced through design and acquisition and now includes such respected brands as DSB, SurvitecZodiac and Brude.
The primary focus of any critical safety equipment is safety and reliability – especially in the context of survival products including MES. “If any one component does not perform, it could jeopardise the integrity of the product or system completely, not to mention the lives of those depending on it should disaster strike,” says Richard McCormick, Technical Sales Director - MES. “It is therefore imperative that all critical safety equipment is correctly installed, regularly serviced, maintained and regulatory compliant. MES crew training is also essential to ensure correct use of the equipment.”
It is Survitec’s continued focus on protecting our customers’ people, assets and reputation, with quality products offering unparalleled safety and real value for money, which ensures that we focus on delivering market leading products and services that are safe and reliable.
Survitec MES products and services epitomise everything that Survitec stands for – regulatory compliance, quality products, offering unparalleled safety-first solutions, coupled with real value for money.
MES are compact, simple to operate and intrinsically safe making them a popular choice for many operators. Survitec offer an extensive range of bespoke MES solutions to suit individual vessels, offering capacities of up to 860 persons, utilising slide or chute-based technology, as appropriate, from evacuation heights of up to 33m. The largest single system, for example, the Marin Ark 2, can evacuate 860 persons in less than 30 minutes. Other systems are designed for the requirements of high or low freeboard.
One of the latest references for Survitec’s MES is the Stena Estrid, the first of Stena Line’s new E-Flexer class of ro-pax vessel, which was delivered from the AVIC yard in China at the end of 2019 and entered service on the Irish Sea between Dublin and Holyhead in mid-January 2020. Stena Estrid is fitted with the 100th Marin Ark 2 MES unit.
Survitec’s emphasis on reliability encompasses the whole design, manufacturing, installation, testing, commissioning, operation, servicing and maintenance processes. Ordering a MES is just the start. Survitec’s engineers will carry out a thorough evaluation of the ship’s design, its areas of operation, and the profile of the crew and passengers likely to use the system. The company’s knowledge and experience, combined with its culture of excellence, will ensure an optimum safety solution for our customers, considering regulatory requirements, budget and expected lifetime of the vessel.
Learn more about how our Survitec ensure MES reliability
Find more details on our exclusive MES reliability page, our new Spotlight on Safety video, or download our MES reliability brochure.